Dance With My Father
by Ferret Girl
Summary: This is just something I wrote because I absolutely love this song. About Botan and her relationship with her father. Maybe just a little romance between Botan and Kurama. Please read and review! Thanks!


A.N: Okay everyone, I'm back again with another songfic. The song that I'm using is Dance With My Father by Luther Vandross. This is one of the sweetest songs I've ever heard, so I hope you enjoy!  
  
Dance With My Father  
  
"Okay, is everyone here?" Yusuke asked loudly as he scanned the group of people before him. Everyone began to look around to check.  
  
"Hey. Wait a second!" Kurama called to Yusuke, who was already climbing into his car.  
  
Yusuke turned around. "What is it? Is something wrong Kurama?" He asked, the faintest trace of concern crossing his features.  
  
Kurama glanced around once more, and then returned his gaze to Yusuke. "I don't see Botan anywhere." He answered.  
  
Yusuke mentally slapped himself. How could he possibly forget Botan? He then took a look around, and sure enough, she was nowhere to be seen. "Well, we really don't have time to look for her Kurama. If she really wants to come, she'll drive up to the mall herself." Yusuke responded, now beginning to get back into the car.  
  
Kurama wasn't sure. Botan wasn't the kind of person that would just skip out on doing something with her friends, especially with out calling someone first. "Yusuke, you all go on, I'm going to go see if everything is all right with Botan." He said.  
  
Yusuke smiled. "All right, catch you tomorrow!" He called, and then the group began to speed off.  
  
Kurama shoved his hands into his pockets, and then turned in the opposite direction of where Yusuke and the others were headed. 'I wonder if Botan got sick or something.' He thought to himself.  
  
Her house wasn't too far away. He walked for a few more minutes, until he came to a ranch style house. It was painted a light shade of blue, and there were flowers in the flowerboxes that hung quaintly on the windows.  
  
Kurama climbed the three steps that led to the door, and gently knocked a couple of times. He stood there for a few moments, until he heard movement on the other side of the door. He watched as the front door was pulled open, and there stood Botan. She smiled softly, and then held the screen door open.  
  
As Kurama entered he could hear that the radio was on. Soft music came pouring from the small box that sat on the bookshelf.  
  
"Hi Kurama." She greeted.  
  
Kurama smiled. "Hello Botan." He responded, as he looked her over. She was wearing a light blue sundress, with tiny peonies on it. She also had her pale blue hair down today, instead of up in the normal ponytail. "Botan, weren't you going to come to the mall today? We were all going to play laser tag." He asked, wondering why she was all dressed up.  
  
Botan smiled again, but there was a hint of sadness in her lavender eyes. "Well, I'm not going to the mall today because my mom and I are going to go visit my dad today." She replied. Her tone sounded cheerful, but Kurama knew she was trying to hide something.  
  
"Oh, well where does you're dad live?" He asked her.  
  
Botan's smile began to fade ever so slowly. "Well, Kurama. my dad's been dead for nine years now." She replied, the smile now replaced with a frown.  
  
Kurama was blown away. Her father was dead? Why hadn't she told anybody? "Oh, Botan, I'm really-" He began to apologize before she held up a hand.  
  
"It's all right Kurama." She said quietly, as she took a step back, and took a seat on the couch behind her. "You see, my dad died of a brain tumor. The doctors couldn't remove it without the possibility of him having serious brain damage." She explained.  
  
Kurama sat down next to her. "What kind of brain damage?" He asked.  
  
"Well, he wouldn't have remembered us." She answered.  
  
"Did you consider having the tumor removed?" Kurama asked.  
  
"Of course we did. But do you know how hard it would be to have you're father guessing who you were. Not remembering that you are his daughter." She responded, sounding grief-stricken. "It just seemed to hard." She added quietly.  
  
Kurama could have slapped himself for asking such an ignorant question. "I'm sorry Botan, I didn't mean to make you upset." He told her gently.  
  
Botan shook her head. "No, it's all right Kurama. You didn't know. You were just trying to be helpful." She said. Her voice was shaky.  
  
The two said nothing for a few moments.  
  
"Hey, can I tell you a story Kurama?" Botan asked quietly.  
  
Kurama looked at her. "Of course." He answered, nodding his head.  
  
When I was seven years old, I can remember one night when my dad, my mom and I were dancing in the living room. We would dance to all kinds of music. But my dad would always pick a song to slow dance to right before my bed time." She told him.  
  
Kurama nodded, knowing that Botan's story was going to end in tears.  
  
*Back when I was a child, Before life removed all the innocence My father would lift me up And dance with my mother and me and then Spin me around till I fell asleep*  
  
"Dad would always carry me up to my room with mom right behind him. He would always pull the covers up to my chin, and tell me that I was his little girl. He would kiss me on the forehead, and so would mom. Then he would wind up my music box so I could fall asleep." She continued, her voice cracked a couple times during that portion of the story.  
  
*Then up the stairs he would carry me, And I knew for sure I was loved."  
  
"We never got to dance again after that night." Botan told him.  
  
Kurama's heart began to sink.  
  
*If I could get another chance, Another walk, Another dance with him I would play a song that would never, ever, end How I'd love, love, love To dance with my father again. *  
  
"I loved my dad so much." Botan said sadly. "Please, don't get me wrong, I love my mom too. But dad was the person I'd run to when I wanted something."  
  
*When I and my mother would disagree, To get my way I would run from her to him. *  
  
"He always made sure I was happy, and then he would help me solve my little misunderstandings with mom." She told Kurama.  
  
*He'd make me laugh just to comfort me, Then finally make me do just what my mama said. *  
  
"Do you remember what I told you about how we would dance?" Botan asked. Kurama nodded lightly. Botan took a deep breath. "Well, the next morning I found a crisp, new dollar bill on my night stand."  
  
*Later that night when I fell asleep, He left a dollar under my sheet. *  
  
"I didn't realize that when I went downstairs that morning, that he wasn't going to be at the kitchen table like he usually was." She continued.  
  
Kurama noticed a tear rolling down one of her pale cheeks.  
  
*Never dreamed that he would be gone from me. If I could steel one final glance, One final step, One final dance with him, I'd play a song that would never, ever end. Cause I'd love, love, love, To dance with my father again. *  
  
Botan reached into one of the pockets on the front of her sundress and pulled out an old, crumpled up dollar bill. "This is the dollar that he gave me that night." She said brokenly. Kurama stared blankly at the wrinkled up piece of money. "Mom mosses dad a lot too." Botan said suddenly. "She cries at night, still."  
  
*Sometimes I'd listen outside her door, And I'd hear how my mother would cry for him. *  
  
"We went to the funeral, and I heard the pastor talk about how God was going to take care of him. That he was okay now." She said. "So, I thought that if God was going to take care of my dad, that he would take care of us also. So I began to pray. I would pray for my mom, that she wouldn't cry anymore."  
  
*I pray for her even more than me, I pray for her even more than me. *  
  
"And I never stopped praying. I still do every night. Because mom still cries."  
  
"I know I'm praying for much to much, But could you send back the only man she loved. *  
  
"I pray that God will send dad back to us." She whispered.  
  
*I know you don't do it usually, But dear Lord she's dying, To dance with my father again. *  
  
"Even if it is just for one more dance."  
  
Then, to Botan's surprise, Kurama stood up and gently pulled her to her feet. A song came on the radio. A song Botan had never heard before. It talked about a little boy, and how he used to dance with his father, just like she did. Kurama slipped his arms around Botan's slender waist and they both began to sway back and forth very gracefully.  
  
Botan began to cry now. She laid her head on Kurama's shoulder and let the tears fall. Kurama could just smile.  
  
Suddenly, Botan's mother appeared from around the corner. She too was crying. Botan looked up, and watched as her mother made her way over to them both. Kurama let go of Botan's left side, and her mother joined in also. Together, the three of them swayed back and forth to the sound of the comforting music.  
  
THREE MONTHS LATER.  
  
Kurama walked up the same three steps as he had done every night before. The door to the house was already open, as if someone had been expecting him. He opened the screen door and walked into the house. As always, he heard the radio spreading soft tunes throughout the room.  
  
Botan came walking into the kitchen. "Supper's ready Kurama." She told him, a large smile crossed her lips. Kurama smiled also. He walked into the dining room to see Botan's mother sitting there.  
  
Botan joined them. The trio ate, and talked till well past midnight. Then, they all began to dance to the music that was on the radio. They laughed at each other's movements until a slow song came on. Kurama slipped his arms around Botan's waist, as he had done that first, time three months ago. They swayed back and forth.  
  
Kurama finally felt happy now. He finally felt needed. Ever since the passing of his mother and father, he'd felt alone, until now.  
  
Botan felt content now. Of course she still missed her father, and she always would, but now she had a new source of comfort. She stared into Kurama's emerald eyes. She now had someone that she could trust. Someone that she could dance with whenever she was missing her father.  
  
She pulled the dollar bill out of the pocket of her jeans, and gave it a slight squeeze.  
  
*Every night I fall asleep, And this is all I ever dream. *  
  
"I love you dad." Botan whispered. 


End file.
